The Republic of Iceland ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland) is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík.
Tjörnin - The famous lake which is the centerpiece of down Reykjavík in Austurvöllur Square.
Public art adorns the sides of many buildings. Interestingly enough, the top of this piece is made of linked sequins which shimmer as the wind blows.
According to tradition recorded in Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the next centuries, people of Nordic origin settled in Iceland. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied on fisheries and agriculture, and was from 1262 to 1918 a part of the Norwegian, and later the Danish monarchies. In the 20th century, Iceland's economy and welfare system developed quickly. In recent decades, Iceland has implemented free trade in the European Economic Area and diversified from fishing to new economic fields in services, finance and various industries.
An eastward view of Reykjavik harbor from the top of Hallgrímskirkja Church.
As one of the most famous structures in the entire country, Hallgrímskirkja (literally, the church of Hallgrímur) is an awe-inspiring building indeed!
A collage of Iceland's most famous musician, Björk. This piece is entirely composed of smaller pictures of Björk.
The brand new steam turbines at Hellisheiði Power-Plant just south of the very active Hengill volcano. For reference, the red rectangular structure under the rightmost turbine is a full-sized tractor trailer.
A shot of me with an Icelandic horse. Icelandic horses are much smaller and "furrier" than European and American breeds and are allowed to roam the country as they please. Each fall, government officials gather up all the horses so that each farmer can claim their specific horses (denoted by a specific skin brand).
The stoic Vík Church in the shadow of the Katla volcano located on the southern coast of Iceland.
Hakarl - The infamous delicacy of Iceland. In order to prepare this dish, Icelanders bury a shark in sand for at least 6 months, exhume the carcass, dry it, cut it into small chunks and serve it cold. It smells heavily of ammonia and sewage. Somehow, it tastes worse.
A shot of my traveling companion George eating whale meat. Though illegal in nearly every country in the world, Icelanders have been whaling and eating whale since the Viking age and show no signs of stopping anytime soon!
An anarchist squat in downtown Reykjavik where I was given free meals and helped them "borrow" power from a nearby business. Very cool.
Icelandic Culture!
The Republic of Iceland ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland) is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík.
According to tradition recorded in Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the next centuries, people of Nordic origin settled in Iceland. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied on fisheries and agriculture, and was from 1262 to 1918 a part of the Norwegian, and later the Danish monarchies. In the 20th century, Iceland's economy and welfare system developed quickly. In recent decades, Iceland has implemented free trade in the European Economic Area and diversified from fishing to new economic fields in services, finance and various industries.
Today, Iceland has some of the world's highest levels of economic and civil freedoms. In 2007, Iceland was ranked as the most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index. It was also the fourth most productive country per capita, and one of the most egalitarian, as rated by the Gini coefficient. Icelanders have a rich culture and heritage, such as cuisine and poetry and the medieval Icelandic Sagas are internationally renowned. Iceland is a member of the UN, NATO, EFTA, EEA and OECD. Iceland is the sole partner of the Faroe Islands signatory to the Hoyvík Agreement.
Iceland has been especially badly affected by the current world financial crisis. The nation's ongoing economic crisis has caused significant unrest and made Iceland the first western country to borrow from the International Monetary Fund since 1976. In February 2009 a minority government took office, headed by Johanna Sigurdardottir, the world's first openly gay head of government in modern times.
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